Binnie Brennan | Author | Musician

Best-laid Plans, etc

“Whether you start something different every day and finish nothing makes no difference; you sit there… If inspiration comes you are there to receive it.”

- Flannery O’Connor

I had planned to write about a book club reading, but the wind and rain put the kibosh on the meeting. It would have been a cozy blog describing an evening spent with a dear friend and her book club in her home perched on a rock by the sea; of the winter rain against the windows, the waves beyond slamming against rocks while indoors, perhaps by candle-light, I’d read from Chapter 4 of Harbour View, the fragrance of B‘s baking apples filling the air (B promised me baked apples, a rare treat). Discussion would have followed, questions about my book, stories given among friends of their own experiences with older loved ones. Some tears, some laughter, as I’ve come to expect and appreciate from the book clubs who have kindly allowed me into their circle.

I thought I’d spend some part of the morning preparing for the book club, reading over some passages and refreshing my memory (on my own book, I know!) (I recently pondered the possibility of Coles Notes/Harbour View, but put the notion aside: the Notes would be longer than the novella…). Alas, we’ve had to postpone. The wind took my wreath off the gate – that’s how windy it is today. We’ll meet instead tomorrow night.

Meanwhile, I’ve been following Flannery’s advice. She’s right, you know.